WASHINGTON — With his final days in office upon him and his legacy under threat by a new administration, President Obama will look to the future of political activism when he delivers his farewell speech Tuesday night in Chicago.
The address, at 9 p.m. EST, will likely represent Obama's final moment on the national stage before he is replaced by President-elect Donald Trump in a stark shift in national leadership. Here are the key messages Obama expects to deliver:
1. To a new generation: Get involved.
Obama will urge voters toward a new wave of engagement and involvement in public life, according to top aides who met with a handful of reporters Monday.
"He's very optimistic about our future, but he believes ... that our democracy is only as good as civic engagement and that if people get involved with their government, get involved in their communities, that the power of the citizen is the most important office of all," said Valerie Jarrett, a White House senior adviser close to Obama since his days as a lawmaker in Illinois. "Part of what you hear (Tuesday) should be motivational and inspirational to people to want to continue to improve upon our democracy."
2. Change takes time:
Speaking in Chicago brings Obama back to his roots as a community organizer in the city — an experience that meshes with his plans to urge everyday citizens to run for office, attend public meetings or volunteer.
"It's where he first really learned the lesson through action that it's about the actions of individuals and the actions of people, that's how real change happens," said Jen Psaki, Obama's communications director. "That's one of the themes people can expect from his speech tomorrow."
She added, "he will reflect on the fact that it's generations of citizens throughout history who have made change happen."
3. New voices must emerge
The Democratic party lacks a clear leader, just when Obama may need allies to stand up for the laws and policies he is leaving behind. But the president appears to be taking a longer view when it comes to his speech Tuesday, while discouraging the idea that he will continue to be the party's biggest voice.
"It will no longer be his voice at the forefront of every debate and leading every charge and it's time for the voices of the American people and up and coming leaders to really take over," Psaki said.
Psaki, who was a spokeswoman for Obama when he first ran for president in 2008, said the president regrets not having spent more time nurturing young leaders — and that he and his team learned over time that the president's popularity didn't necessarily transfer to his allies. (As they witnessed in stinging Democratic defeats in Congress, and Hillary Clinton's loss).
"This is also why it's about him helping to mentor and lift up the next generation and not necessarily being able himself to just by pointing a wand get people elected," Psaki said.
4. He'll step back, but won't fade away entirely:
Don't expect attacks on Trump — but Obama may defend his legacy. Jarrett stressed that Obama hoped to give Trump space as the new president moves toward the White House, but suggested that he will speak up on certain key issues.
"He believes that he should give the president elect and then the president room to do his homework and his due diligence ... he's not going to comment on every single thing that happens, that's not appropriate, but if it's something he cares deeply about he'll add his voice," Jarrett said.
Still, the briefing came with a packet of statistics highlighting drops in the rate of the uninsured, increases in median income and decreases in military members deployed overseas that attempted to burnish Obama's achievements.
And while within days of Obama's speech Republicans plan to take key procedural votes aimed at dismantling the president's signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, Jarrett and Psaki argued that the law still has a fighting chance.
"Twenty million people or more now have health insurance who didn't have it before, and this is about taking something away from people who are benefitting from it," Psaki said. "The reality of governing is different from rhetoric that's used on the campaign and I think we're seeing that play out."
You can follow Tamari on Twitter or email him at jtamari@phillynews.com.